Safety device for conveying apparatus

ABSTRACT

Conveying apparatus in which a car travels longitudinally in an open channel includes a belt having one end attached to the car. The belt extends generally horizontal to a fixed roll and is maintained under such tension that it can support the weight of a man. The belt edges are close to the sides of the channel so that a workman falling on the belt cannot fall off the belt.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Joseph R. Ambruster MiddletownTownship, Bucks County, Pa. 79,157

Oct. 8, 1970 Jan. 1 1, 1972 United States Steel Corporation [21 Appl.No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] SAFETY DEVICE FORCONVEYING APPARATUS 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 182/139 [51] Int. Cl A62b 37/00 [50] Field of Search182/139,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 597,818 1/1898 Fondu 182/138896,213 8/1908 Kerfoot .1 182/138 1,088,826 3/1914 Labady 182/138Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Martin J. CarrollABSTRACT: Conveying apparatus in which a car travels longitudinally inan open channel includes a belt having one end attached to the car. Thebelt extends generally horizontal to a fixed roll and is maintainedunder such tension that it can support the weight ofa man. The beltedges are close to the sides of the channel so that a workman falling onthe belt cannot fall off the belt.

PATENTED JAN? 1 m2 SHEET 1 [IF 3 INVENTOR. JOSEPH R. AMBRUS TER W QQMMQA) forney PATENTEDJANHIHTZ $633707 SHEET 2 0r 3 c ,K FIG. 2. i

INVENTOR. JOSEPH R. AMBRUSTER Iforhey SAFETY DEVICE FOR CONVEYINGAPPARATUS This invention relates to a safety device and moreparticularly to a safety device for converging an open channel in whicha car moves longitudinally. For example, in a strip processing line thefinished product is coiled on a tension reel and the coil is placed on acoil car which travels longitudinally in a channel below the level ofthe mill floor. The car carries the coil to a point where the coil canbe handled for packaging, shipping or further processing. The coil isplaced on a shuttle car traveling at right angles to the path of thecoil car. Thus, the floor opening presents a hazard to workmen in thearea. In some cases there is no support between the mill floor andbasement floor which may be close to 20 feet below. The conventionalmethod of covering floor openings is by the means of sliding telescopingfloor plates. However, such plates cannot be used to cover the openingbetween the coil car and the shuttle car because clearance must bemaintained for the shuttle car.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide means for coveringthe top opening of a channel without the use of telescoping floorplates.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIG. I. is an elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus of myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line II-II of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of FIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2indicates a mill floor which has a longitudinal trough 4 therein. Thetrough 4 may be an actual trough with sidewalls the width of top opening6 or it may be formed solely by the walls of the floor therebeneath asshown. In the latter case generally vertical sideplates 8 are providedbelow the floor opening 6 for a purpose which will appear later.Longitudinal extending tracks 10 are provided in the channel forsupporting a car 12 which has two spaced arms 14 for supporting a coilof strip C. Car 12 is provided with a lift cylinder 16 for raising andlowering the arms 14. The car 12 is moved along the tracks by means of atraversing motor 18. A coiler, not shown in detail, is located adjacentone end of the path of travel of the car 12 and is provided with amandrel 20 for the coil C. Shuttle car tracks 22 are arrangedtransversely of the tracks 10 adjacent that end of the trough 4 remotefrom the mandrel 20. A shuttle car 24 is mounted on the tracks 22 and ismoved therealong by means of a hydraulic motor 26 as shown in FIG. 2.The car 24 is provided with a cradle 28 for receiving the coil C fromthe car 12. Grooves 30 are provided on each side of the cradle 28 forreceiving the arms 14 shown in broken lines. Telescoping floor plates 32(FIG. 1) are attached to the end of the car 12 remote from the tracks 22for closing the opening between the car 12 and the coiler. The parts sofar described are conventional.

According to my invention I provide horizontal rolls 36, 38 and 40 whichare attached to support beam 42 for track 22. A transverse horizontalroll 44 is attached to the end of the car 12 adjacent the tracks 22. Abelt 46 having one end attached to the car 12 extends generallyhorizontally to and around roll 36 and downwardly in contact with rolls38 and 40 with weights 48 being attached to the free end of the belt 46.The width of the belt 46 is almost as great as the width of the channel4 as defined by the plates 8. A plate 50 is provided at the bottom ofthe channel adjacent the uncoiler and is arranged so that it slopesdownwardly away from the uncoiler.

In operation, with the car 12 adjacent the coiler end of the channel 4the arms 14 are raised to the broken line position of FIG. 1 to receivea coil C from the mandrel 20. The arms 14 are then lowered to their fullline position. In this position the end of the belt 46 extendsvertically downwardly from the roll 40. The counterweight 48 appliessufficient tension to the belt 46 to hold it generally horizontal and topermit it to deflect only a short distance if a man should fall on it.If this occurs the plates 8 prevent him from falling to the floorbeneath or to the bottom of the channel. As the car 12 moves toward thetracks 22 the counterweight 48 and the belt 46 will lower until the beltIS in line to be contacted by the roll 44. Continued movement of car 12will then move the belt 46 to the right as shown in FIG. I to theposition shown in broken lines. The plate 50 functions to dampen theswinging of the vertical portion of the belt at this time. The arms 14are positioned vertically so as to be received in the slots 30 of theshuttle car 24 and are then lowered to the broken line position of FIG.2 to transverse the coil C to the cradle 28. The car 12 is then moved toits original position with the belt and counterweight returning to theiroriginal position. Thus, the opening in the floor is protected at alltimes so that a workman cannot fall to the floor beneath. After the arms14 are moved out of grooves 30, the car 24 is moved along tracks 22 asshown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In conveying apparatus including a floor, an elongated open channelbelow said floor, longitudinal tracks in said channel, and a car in saidchannel supported on said tracks for movement thereon; the improvementcomprising a belt having a width almost as great as the width of saidchannel, means for attaching one end of said belt to said car adjacentthe top thereof, means for supporting said belt in a generallyhorizontal plane in said channel, and means for holding said belt undertension as the car moves along said tracks.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for supportingsaid belt includes a generally horizontal roll extending transversely ofsaid channel and around which the belt passes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said tension means includes aweight attached to that end of the belt remote from said car.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for supportingsaid belt includes a pair of generally horizontal rolls extendingtransversely of said channel one above the other, said belt passing overthe top of the top roll and downwardly in contact with that side of thebottom roll adjacent the car.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said tension means includes aweight attached to that end of the belt remote from said car.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including a transverse horizontal rollmounted on said car on the end adjacent said pair of rolls, said carroll being adapted to contact the downwardly extending portion of saidbelt and move it longitudinally.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said channel includes a pairof longitudinally extending vertical plates spaced apart a distanceslightly greater than the width of said belt and extending above andbelow said belt.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said means for supportingsaid belt includes a pair of generally horizontal rolls extendingtransversely of said channel one above the other, said belt passing overthe top of the top roll and downwardly in contact with that side of thebottom roll adjacent the car.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said tension means includes aweight attached to that end of the belt remote from said car.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 including a transverse horizontalroll mounted on said car on the end adjacent said pair of rolls, saidcar roll being adapted to contact the downwardly extending portion ofsaid belt and move it longitudinally.

1. In conveying apparatus including a floor, an elongated open channelbelow said floor, longitudinal tracks in said channel, and a car in saidchannel supported on said tracks for movement thereon; the improvementcomprising a belt having a width almost as great as the width of saidchannel, means for attaching one end of said belt to said car adjacentthe top thereof, means for supporting said belt in a generallyhorizontal plane in said channel, and means for holding said belt undertension as the car moves along said tracks.
 2. Apparatus according toclaim 1 in which said means for supporting said belt includes agenerally horizontal roll extending transversely of said channel andaround which the belt passes.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in whichsaid tension means includes a weight attached to that end of the beltremote from said car.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which saidmeans for supporting said belt includes a pair of generally horizontalrolls extending transversely of said channel one above the other, saidbelt passing over the top of the top roll and downwardly in contact withthat side of the bottom roll adjacent the car.
 5. Apparatus according toclaim 4 in which said tension means includes a weight attached to thatend of the belt remote from said car.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5including a transverse horizontal roll mounted on said car on the endadjacent said pair of rolls, said car roll being adapted to contact thedownwardly extending portion of said belt and move it longitudinally. 7.Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said channel includes a pair oflongitudinally extending vertical plates spaced apart a distanceslightly greatEr than the width of said belt and extending above andbelow said belt.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said meansfor supporting said belt includes a pair of generally horizontal rollsextending transversely of said channel one above the other, said beltpassing over the top of the top roll and downwardly in contact with thatside of the bottom roll adjacent the car.
 9. Apparatus according toclaim 8 in which said tension means includes a weight attached to thatend of the belt remote from said car.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9including a transverse horizontal roll mounted on said car on the endadjacent said pair of rolls, said car roll being adapted to contact thedownwardly extending portion of said belt and move it longitudinally.